The city of Saxman hired a new Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) last week, filling a position that had been vacant since June 2023.
It’s not the city’s only municipal hire — the town of about 400 people lying just south of Ketchikan has also brought on a new city clerk, Yeił Atoowu Ginger McCormick.
In a call with KRBD, McCormick said she’s still learning the ropes, but is looking forward to serving the local government and working with the general public.
“I’m just really excited to get to work and be able to serve the community of Saxman,” she said.
McCormick said the community is excited that the new VPSO, Tristan Weis, already volunteers with the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department, so he has experience working with Saxman.
For the time being, Weis will only be responding to fire and EMS calls. But McCormick said he’ll start helping with law enforcement upon completing training with the Alaska State Troopers.
McCormick said the VPSO program is important for villages like Saxman, where the officer can act as a tribal liaison between the community and police and troopers.
“It’s nice to have a VPSO there that’s trauma informed, that’s used to working in smaller communities,” McCormick said. “And we’re so lucky that he’s from here. As far as I can see, he’s very well locally welcomed and involved and people appreciate him a lot.”
She said the VPSO also helps locals feel a sense of protection, to have someone who’s able to respond quickly. For now, she reminded people to continue calling the trooper dispatch for law enforcement needs.
Saxman’s VPSO is sponsored by the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, which McCormick said also provides housing and training support for the program.
